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September 29, 2014

Writer friend, Nicole Zoltack has a new New Adult time travel that we'd like to share with you today. So let's turn the spotlight onto THE TEST OF TIME!

BLURB: Katia
jumps at the chance to go to England with her best friend after Rose ditches
her deadbeat boyfriend. While walking through the market, she spies a large
mansion and recognizes the guy out front as her high school friend Tony. Just
as they start to reconnect, Katia passes through times and lands in the arms of
Lord Landon, who looks like Tony but certainly doesn’t act like him.

Soon,
Katia learns that this 1815 is different from the one in history books. Trapped
in a parallel world, Katia struggles to not fall for Landon but his charm
proves too much for her. Just when she is about to confess her love for him,
Katia travels through time yet again.

The
course of love never did run smooth and if Katia can’t figure out and master
the test of time, she’ll never see her friends again, or worse, never be
reunited with Landon.

BIO: Nicole
Zoltack loves to write in many genres, especially romance, whether fantasy,
paranormal, or regency. When she’s not writing about knights, superheroes, or
zombies, she loves to spend time with her loving husband and three energetic
young boys. She enjoys riding horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!)
and going to the PA Renaissance Faire, dressed in garb. She’ll also read
anything she can get her hands on. Her current favorite TV show is The Walking
Dead. To learn more about Nicole and her writing, visit http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.

September 26, 2014

A fabulous group of bloggers & authors have joined together to offer you 1 fabulous prize valued at $229.The winner of this giveaway will receive their choice of a $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 Paypal Cash!
For all those who hate the long rafflecopters you should appreciate the fact that this one is much shorter.
Just liking on facebook, following on twitter, a free entry and 2 options to share the giveaway make this much faster to enter.

September 24, 2014

Today on Three Times A Charm we welcome The YA Guy
himself, Joshua Bellin. I love introducing my readers to new authors. Joshua's debut novel is JUST RELEASED.

Thanks for joining us, Joshua. Would you please tell us a
little about your awesome self?

I’m a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, PA who loves (in no
particular order) frogs, gorillas, human beings, and monsters. I’m also a
husband, father, teacher, environmentalist, political cartoonist, and movie
buff. Survival Colony 9 is my debut
novel, but there’s plenty more where that came from!

I’m so excited that Survival Colony 9 is finally
out! I can’t wait to read it. For the readers who haven’t been obsessing over
it like me, can you tell us about it, please?

In a futuristic landscape
ravaged by war, a colony’s hopes for survival hinge on one teenage boy in this
fast-paced, action-packed story.

Querry Genn is in trouble. He can’t remember
anything before the last six months. And Querry needs to remember. Otherwise
he’s dead weight to Survival Colony 9, one of the groups formed after a brutal
war ravaged the planet. And now the Skaldi have come to scavenge what’s left of
humanity. No one knows what the Skaldi are, or why they’re here, just that they
impersonate humans, taking their form before shedding the corpse like a skin.

If he can recall his past, Querry might hold the
key to defeat the Skaldi. If he can’t, he’s their next victim.

Okay, Joshua, now it is time for the three’s. Give us
your top three answers to the following questions so we might get to know you
better.

Top 3
skills to hone for people just starting in your business.

Skill #1: Get outside yourself and
write about people, places, and experiences not your own. One of my favorite
writing teachers said not to “write what you know” but to “write what you want to know,” and I think that’s much
better advice.

Skill #2: Study craft, but learn
the difference between form and formula. Superior writing creates its own form,
while inferior writing sticks to formula.

Skill #3: Develop a thick skin. You
will be disappointed, rejected, negatively reviewed, sworn at on Goodreads, and
lots of other nasty things, but if you remember why you wanted to write in the
first place, all this stuff will slide off you.

Top 3
professions you wanted to be when you grew up.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a
stop-motion animator. My favorite movie was King
Kong (1933 original), and I idolized the man who did the special effects,
Willis O’Brien, along with his protégé, Ray Harryhausen. I also dreamed of
being an artist, either a fantasy illustrator like the Brothers Hildebrandt or
a comic-book artist like Jack Kirby. But the truth is, I also wanted to be an
author from a very early age. I started my first novel at age eight, and though
I didn’t finish it, I still have the typed copy in my file drawer!

Top 3
favorite places.

Every summer growing up, my family
would go to Diamond Lake, just outside White Cloud, Michigan, where I’d spend a
week playing with my cousins (twenty-two of them), swimming, and catching (and
releasing!) frogs and turtles. Because of that experience, I also love the pond
in the cemetery near my home, where I walk with my wife and kids to watch the
wildlife, collect buckeyes, and enjoy the peace and quiet. And I also love the
seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts, where I’ve spent many summer vacations
ever since my kids were little. They’re not so little now, and they’ve
convinced me and my wife to try other, more exotic locales, but Rockport will
always be my favorite!

And finally, where can our tech savvy readers find more
about you and your brand new book?

Thanks for joining us
on this week’s Three Times A Charm, Joshua! Best of luck to you and Survival
Colony 9.

THANKS!

GUESTS WELCOME!
I am always looking for guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an
author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor. If you have
something related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know
about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.

September 23, 2014

Welcome to FAVE-A-FAVE, all about author favorites. I love
that the internet gives us access to authors. I’m a fangirl and I’m not afraid
to admit it, and I LOVE to be able to help readers get to know their favorite
authors better as well as discover new ones.

Grab a pen and paper, or log onto your Goodreads account,
because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own
list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come
back weekly to learn more about many awesome authors!

First, I asked authors to share with us the scariest
book they’ve read.

Period. 8, a Young
Adult book by Chris Crutcher is the scariest non-scary book I’ve read. Sheer treachery is afoot when someone from
Period 8 goes missing. Crutcher is
inspired by keeping everything teen comfort and reality while shocking his
readers, most of whom do not see it coming. Nancy Stewart – (Nancy writes
fiction for kids and young adults)

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alving Schwartz. I
honestly only got through a couple—I’m a wimp when it comes to scary! –
Meradeth Houston (Meradeth writes for Young Adult and New Adult readers of fantasy
and science fiction. Scientist by day, writer by night—basically she’s running
on no sleep!)

I love, love, love when a book surprises me. The whole time
I was reading this book (which wasn’t very long because I simply flew through
it), I sensed something was off, but I never could quite figure it out. And
when everything finally comes together, it still came as a shock to me. That’s
the best I can do to explain what I love about this book without being
spoilery! [Extra points to Katie for using the word spoilery.]

Deek Rhew (who is an adult thriller author) was pretty
adamant that best voice in abook goes to:

I’d have to give this to Nelson DeMille’s character, John
Corey, who first appeared in the book Plum
Island and since been a main character in half a dozen follow-up books.
This guy is sarcastic, capable, chased by demons, an NYPD cop-turned-FBI-agent,
but still has a good heart.

But for Dianne Hartsock, (author of m/m erotic romances,
both contemporary and fantasy, psychological thrillers, and anything else that
comes to mind.) best voice goes to:

Hands down, it's Bryan Dennison in The Red Sheet by Mia
Kerick. This author has captured the essence of a sixteen year old boy to
perfection. I know this boy, met him in my brothers and the guys I went to high
school with. I love this boy for all his faults and his great desire to be a
better person than he has been.

Finally, I wanted to know an author's favorite author.

Like many of us, Crystal Collier (who writes fantastic genre
mash-ups for teens and young or young at heart women. There may even be cheese
involved. Or not.) couldn’t list just one!

September 22, 2014

I'd like to share all the fun surrounding Katie L. Carroll's young adult fantasy, ELIXIR BOUND (a great book, by the way.) Please take the time to see all that she's offering and we'd love if you share the news as well. Thanks!

ELIXIR BOUND

YA fantasy

by Katie L. Carroll

Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a
secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of
Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though
she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a
mapmaker as companions, she feels alone.

It is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to
the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest
hosts many dangers, including wicked beings that will stop at nothing to gain
power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her
heart to love.

Katie L. Carroll began writing at a very sad time in her
life after her 16-year-old sister, Kylene, unexpectedly passed away. Since then
writing has taken her to many wonderful places, real and imagined. She wrote
ELIXIR BOUND and the forthcoming ELIXIR SAVED so Kylene could live on in the
pages of a book. Katie is also the author of the picture app THE BEDTIME KNIGHT
and an editor for MuseItUp Publishing. She lives not too far from the beach in
a small Connecticut city with her husband and son. For more about Katie, visit
her website at www.katielcarroll.com
and follow her on Twitter
(@KatieLCarroll) or Tumblr.

September 19, 2014

It’s Friday! Time for Building Character in which you get
to meet characters from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is
fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun.

This week
Strands of Thought plays host to Rosemary and Josh Cooper from Shadows of New
York. Rosemary and Josh are brother and sister (just like the writing team that
wrote their story – huh!)

I’m so glad you guys could join us. I’m really looking
forward to reading your book. Can you tell our readers a little about
yourselves, please?

Josh: Hi, I’m Josh. Um,
I’m eleven years old and this is my sister–

Rosemary: Ladies first,
Josh!

J: I was just about to
introduce you. You can be so annoying sometimes!

R: Whaevs. Hi, everyone!
I’m Rosemary Cooper. I’m six years old and I love glitter!

J: Um, don’t you think
there’s something more interesting we should tell them about?

R: Like what?

J: Like the fact that our
nanny is a werewolf?

R: Oh, yeah! Aiden is a
werewolf. Isn’t that cool?

Oh! Well, that has to make things…uh…interesting. Is there
any other conflict are you up against?

R: What does conflict mean?

J: It means something you're
fighting against.

R: Oh. I fight with you a
lot, Josh. You can be such a poodle sometimes.

J: I'm not really sure what that
means. But I think the question was more about the book. I'll answer this one.
In Shadows of New York, there's a creature, a shadowy wraith named Mr.
Midnight, creeping around, attacking other magical creatures. Werewolves are
really good at fighting wraiths, so our nanny Aiden has to help stop him.

What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve
encountered trying to resolve your conflict?

R: Oh my gosh! I'm always stumbling
over my baby brother Jackson's blocks. He leaves them all over the floor.

J: I'll take this one, too. Well,
Aiden can't just drop everything and chase after Mr. Midnight. He still has a
job to do, taking care of us. My stumbling block is that I want to help, but
everyone seems to think I'm too young. So I have to get creative and talk them
into letting me help.

What have you learned about yourself or friend or family
while trying to resolve your conflict?

R: I don't think I learned anything. I was pretty smart to
begin with.

J: Well, it’s like Aiden told me: sometimes you have to
stand up for the people you love, no matter what.

R: Oo, I know! I learned that I look good in sparkly
lipgloss!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

R: I want to be a cat. With a rainbow-colored collar.

J: Probably a werewolf trainer. Now that I’ve learned so
much about the Imaginary World, I could probably get a job like that.

If you could change one thing in this world, what would
you change?

R: Two words: glitter Fridays.

J: That sounds terrible. What does that even mean?

R: Be quiet, you poodle. It means that everyone would have
to wear sparkly clothes every Friday.

J: Okay. I would say that I'd want all the creatures of the
Imaginary World to be able to live out in the open without worrying about
regular people being scared of them.

R: Oh, that's so sweet. Can I make that mine, too?

See, dear Readers, why I’ve been SO looking forward to
this book? These kids are awesome! Here is more information about their book, Shadows
of New York.

What do
you do when your view of the world gets turned on its head? Eleven-year-old
Josh Cooper is surprised when his new nanny ends up being a dude, but that
pales in comparison to how he feels when he learns the nanny, Aiden, is also a
werewolf. Aiden teaches Josh about the Imaginary World, even introducing him to
his friends Larry Fancypants (a suave-yet-goofy vampire) and Steve Lickerman (a
tall-yet-meek leprechaun). This fascinating world seems harmless, until Josh
learns of the shadowy wraith that’s stalking New York, attacking creatures and
stealing their powers. As werewolves are ideally suited for fighting wraiths,
Aiden is called upon to help capture the elusive Mr. Midnight, unintentionally
drawing Josh even deeper into the strange and mysterious.

Heather Fraser Brainerd is a multi-published author
and a renaissance woman. After earning a degree in Anthropology, she embarked
on an incongruous career as a workers’ compensation insurance adjuster. She
rapidly climbed the claims-handling ladder before surprising her colleagues by
leaving the high-powered world of lumbar strains and carpal tunnel syndrome to
run a child care center. Thousands of dirty diapers and gallons of strained
peas later, she decided that maybe the insurance industry wasn’t quite as bad
as she remembered. Unfortunately, it was. Fortunately, a few years later, she
met the most wonderful man in the world. Now a stay-home mom to three amazing
boys, she is able, at long last, to focus on her writing. She works in a
variety of genres, including paranormal mystery, Young Adult paranormal
romance, and Middle Grade fantasy. Heather lives in New York with her family
and their crazy pug/terrier.

David Fraser was born on March 25, 1973. March
25, incidentally, is International Waffle Day (Vårfudagn in Sweden) and Tolkien
Reading Day (The Ring was destroyed on March 25). Elton John shares his
birthday. So next March 25, you should eat a waffle while reading Lord of
the Rings and listening to Rocket Man. I know Dave will.

Before deciding to become
an internationally-famous author, Dave held a number of different jobs. He
processed small business insurance policy changes, tested software on digital
copier/printers, put out little orange flags in pick-your-own strawberry
fields, installed internet cable in schools, shelved books in a library, taught
college calculus, and handed out raffle tickets at a Barry Manilow concert.
Granted, this last job was a one day temp job, but it was awesome.

I love adventures, all
different kinds of people, kitties, and unicorns.

I sword fight and do archery.
I love to remodel old buildings and explore the woods.

I can walk along the ocean
coast for miles looking for shells and pretty rocks or just being memorized by
the waves.

I love to walk across wooden
bridges, hang out in tree houses, and eat blackberries off the vine and fruit
that I pick from the trees.

My favorite time is in the
morning at sunrise and when it rains.

I love sunrise too. The most peaceful time of day. Wish I
could experience it without having to wake up so early. Now, tell us more about
The Watchers.

The WatchersSeries has been described as Braveheart
meets Supernatural.

The mythology for the series is based on many
theological texts from dozens of sects with correlating themes. Ancient
writings include the Dead Sea Scrolls,
the Traditional Apocrypha, The Pearl of Great Price and the Kabbalah.

“The Watchers” are angels or supernatural beings
in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard
mankind from the armies of darkness.Unfortunately, as the Book of Enoch mentions, some of these Watchers go bad.

Although the mythology is based on these texts,
Deirdra Eden’s The Watcher’s Series
is non-denominational and is written in a traditional fairytale style with a
young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a
cast of humorous side-kicks, a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose,
and villains of epic proportions.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.

Top 3
tools of the trade you couldn’t live without.

My Book Manager, Laura Watkins

My gorgeous hubby for inspiration and support (and
babysitter)

My computer

Top 3
most admired people and why you admire them.

Nicey Nash for her straightforward wisdom

Queen Ranya for her efforts in uniting people who are
usually at war with each other

Sheri Dew for being as strong as Queen Bodica and helping
women understand their self-worth.

GUESTS WELCOME!
I am always looking for guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an
author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor. If you have
something related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know
about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.

September 14, 2014

Hey everybody! I was unpacking books
at a signing and came across a copy of King of Bad with a torn cover. Since I
can’t sell it, I decided to hold a giveaway
instead!

Along with a signed, slightly damaged copy
of King of Bad, I’m also giving away several sets of character trading cards.
These cards have been specially designed for book one in the series. There will
be a separate design for each book – so be among the first to
own a set of the King of Bad cards.

About the book:

Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or
observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is
until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy –
where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can
evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can
perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff
wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.

He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he
develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to
wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that
balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing
on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?

[Pyro] swung the door open with a flourish and
indicated for Jeff to go inside. Jeff stepped into the doorway and stopped.
They were in some sort of gymnasium. Kids ranging from about 12 to 18 years old
were hard at work testing their athleticism in a freak show sort of way. A girl
did chin-ups at twice the speed of a top Olympian. A boy ran across a high
wire. The most beautiful girl Jeff had ever laid eyes on leaned against the
wall across the room. Jeff tore his eyes from her when an oddly shaped ball
soared over the heads of the kids. Two boys enjoyed a game of catch. At least
Jeff thought the sneers on their faces indicated enjoyment. Suddenly a head
popped out of the ball.

“Come on, you wimps, get further apart.”

Jeff’s stomach lurched when he realized the ball was a
contorted girl.

In the far corner of the gym a couple of kids were
involved in extreme wresting. Jeff watched one kid leap six feet off the ground
and pile drive the other kid into the thick stack of mats. He thought they’d
have a future in WWE if the super villain thing didn’t pan out for them. Jeff’s
gaze wandered back to the beautiful redhead. She smiled at him and his stomach
fluttered.

Pyro nudged Jeff into the gym and let the door close.
“Each S.V. has at least one prominent ability. Most of us are faster and
stronger than the average human, but there are a few that are faster or
stronger than the average S.V. There are also those of us who have fire as well
as those who have ice. You can usually find an S.V. with a complementary
ability to yours.” Pyro pointed at a dark haired girl standing in the center of
the room.

The girl had a
large bucket in front of her. Her face was contorted with concentration, but
Jeff couldn’t see anything happening. Then all at once a geyser of water burst
toward the ceiling and it fell back down on the assemblage in a misty rain. The
girl’s face broke into an exultant smile as the dripping kids groaned and
grumbled around her.

“Wow, that’s
really hard to do,” Pyro said, “break an element into so many little particles.
She’ll have a headache later.”

Reviews:

I found myself
falling in love with all the characters in the book. I loved the different
abilities each one of them have. Kai did an outstanding job writing this book.
I could not put it down. It is filled with lots of action and even some
romance. Everything you want in a book. Victoria for Page Turners Blog

Can't wait for the sequel! – Christopher White for Amazon

You have through October 3rd to enter. The giveaway is open to International residences too. So SPREAD THE WORD!

I read and read as a kid,
particularly every mystery I could find. I didn't plan to be a writer though. I
first earned a degree in journalism & communications then a second degree
in education. But I didn't end up working in either field. I wrote my first
book, a clean romance, shortly after earning those degrees. I submitted it to a
publisher, but when it was rejected I moved on.

Fast forward to a day some years
later when I was driving and an image of a briefcase filled with feathers
popped into my mind. I knew it was the idea for a children's mystery and The Feather Chase was born.

I wrote it while I worked in
unrelated fields. I also began writing magazine articles on the side and
gradually moved to doing that full-time. I'm now an award-winning writer, have
sold more than 600 articles for local, national and regional publications and,
until I resigned to finish the book, was the contributing editor for a jewelry
publication. (Which tells you, you never know where life may take you.)

I stepped back from most of that
writing to edit The Feather Chase and
see it published in February of 2014. It's a fun mystery and the first in the
Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series. Now I'm using the classes I had in
communications to write and those in education to speak to children about
writing.

I'm originally from Alaska but live
in Nashville, Tennessee with my professor husband and our adorable calico cat
Evie. I'm working on the second book in the series. Hint: It begins with a gift
wrapped package that is left on Sophie's front porch.

I find it so brave when people quit their jobs to pursue
a writing career. It’s so risky! Now, tell us more about The Feather Chase.

The Feather Chase
is a fun mystery for girls ages 8-12. It has tense moments, but it’s overall
fun and upbeat.

Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica are stuck
together for the summer, and they don’t have much in common. Sophie loves
hiking and her small town. Jessica would rather be shopping in a city. Then
they find a briefcase in the forest with a surprise inside. When they hear
footsteps behind them and bad guys run after them, they have no choice but to
work together to solve the mystery.

The Feather Chase
is available in print and ebook wherever books are sold.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.

Top 3
snacks to munch on while working.

Like Sophie, I enjoy fruity things.
I often have a frozen grape juice bar as a snack. But I also share Jessica’s
love of chocolate. (The two girls have bits of me in them.) Unlike Jessica, I
only need one piece of chocolate, and I’m good for the day. Dark chocolate, of
course! My third favorite snack would be something sweet like a cookie or a
granola bar. Right now I have some snickerdoodles I made stored in the freezer,
and I like to grab one and eat it frozen.

Top 3
leisure activities.

Reading is probably my favorite
thing to do. I read a novel in bed every night. Mysteries are my favorite, and
it helps me relax so that I can sleep well. The books aren’t boring; fiction
just quiets me down.

Shopping and baking tie for second
place. Baking from scratch is also relaxing, and I love being able to share the
things I bake with others. Like Jessica, I enjoy shopping. To me, it’s like a
treasure hunt—I hit the sales and find great deals for things I really like.

Hiking on a trail through the woods
is both awesome exercise and relaxing. I guess all of my favorite leisure
activities are relaxing to me. Unlike Sophie who sees hiking and camping as
equal, I’ll stick with the hiking and sleep in a nice bed at night. I grew up
camping in Alaska—everything from boating to a camping site next to a lake to
flying in and sleeping on a frozen river in the winter. I fit a lifetime of
camping into my life early on.

Top 3
favorite places.

Almost anywhere in rolling, green
hills. I think my home of Nashville, Tennessee is beautiful. I’m from Alaska
and we had tall mountains right behind my house, more than half the year
covered with snow. I picture the fictional town of Pine Hill in The Feather Chase as having rolling
hills around a lake. I hope to be able to visit somewhere that looks like that.

A beach is high on my list of
places to visit. I spent a lot of time in Hawaii growing up and love walking on
a warm beach with the water lapping at my feet. I say “warm” because I walked
on a beach in Alaska and my feet went numb. Really.

Beautiful cities in Europe are also
a favorite. I gave Jessica the hometown of London, England. I’m a huge
anglophile and have read hundreds of books set in England.

Thank you, Shannon,
for joining us on Three Times A Charm. Best of luck to you and The Feather
Chase.

THANKS!

GUESTS WELCOME!
I am always looking for guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an
author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor. If you have
something related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know
about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.

September 8, 2014

The Sending
A city's peace is shattered when two university students go missing, and only Daneel and his friends know the shocking truth of what happened. Finding themselves under attack, Daneel leads them in a race to escape the mounting violence.
Mara is willing to kill for the beliefs of the faction that raised her. But as she seeks out her mark, using a rare, mystical form of travel known as the Sending, Mara discovers a powerful connection that challenges the truth of everything she’s been taught.
While Daneel fights to protect those he cares for, Mara must choose whether to cling to the ideology of her home—or open her scarred heart to a searing attraction and the promise of a new life.

Praise for The Sending
The Sending reads like a dystopian Romeo and Juliet where strong, full characters from very different places inevitably collide with passion and conflict. Salguero fills a fresh, vibrant world with a nerve-tingling fast plot. Prepare to be immersed. ~Tamara Ward, author of Hidden Betrayal
The Sending is a thrilling, fast-paced, science fiction-romance that's impossible to put down. Edge-of-your-seat action scenes, and a romantic attraction so intense that it will make you want to turn down the air conditioning, The Sending is a great read that left me hungry for more. I loved this book!
~Sterling R. Walker, author of The Orphan Ship

Excerpt
As one of the hawks flew across the tiny plane of space framed by her window, Mara closed her eyes. She envisioned herself there, experiencing the grace and the power of their movements. She imagined the control of that journey and thought that one day she might have that type of power over her own fate.
Mara felt a kinship with the graceful hunter. It knew the thrill of conquest coupled with the need for survival: opposite sides of the same implacable coin. The compound had taught Mara to use that need to a greater advantage than she had before.
Her chest tightened. Before? No, there was no before. Everything was after.
After her home had been raided, after her family had been killed, after she had been forced to fend for herself. She’d had only the passive help of a few others who had suffered the same fate, who had used her as much as she had been forced to use them.
She was a young six years when she lost her family. The memories of their life together had quickly begun to fade into the cruel background of her new life, into an icy, nearly paralyzing bath of hunger and fear.
The fear had covered everything. It had even blanketed the things that had seemed gentle and innocent to her before, so that nothing was safe. For a long time, the fear had ruled her with a cold, hard hand.

Author Jandy Salguero
Growing up in southern Louisiana, Jandy Salguero's life was full of friendly smiles, good food and tall tales. She holds a BA in French from Brigham Young University, where she met her husband in the midst of the great Rocky Mountains. She now resides in a small town outside of Raleigh, NC. Her days are full of grade-school antics and underfoot toddler toys-- courtesy of her two handsome boys.
She is currently working on Book 2 in the Senitha's Light series, due out in early 2015.

BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 10/3/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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September 3, 2014

It’s time for Three Times A Charm. I love meeting new
authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the
children’s publishing industry and sharing their careers with my readers.

Today’s guest is award winning picture book author, Penelope
Anne Cole. Welcome to Strands of Thought, Penelope. Tell us a little about you,
if you don’t mind.

Hi, I’m Penelope Anne Cole.
I’ve taught and tutored at every grade level. I enjoy writing children’s
stories for read aloud time. I believe that reading to children is the best way
to help them love literature. I have a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and
an M.A. in Education. When I’m not writing stories or reviewing children’s
books, I enjoy walking my dog, reading great children’s books, gardening,
church and choir activities. I’m a member of the Society of Children's Book
Writers and Illustrators, the Fremont Area Writers of the California Writers
Club, and I’m a Certified Reading Therapist with Read America. My book reviews
are on my blog at http://penelopeannecole.blogspot.com.

Penelope, you are so generous with your reading time.
Thank you for supporting your fellow authors by reviewing our books. And
speaking of books…I hear you have a brand new release. What’s it about?

I’m excited to add Ten
Little Tricksters, to my published books. It’s a reverse counting book with
cute Halloween creatures out trick or treating—for ages 4 to 7. My Magical
Series is recommended for older kids, 6 to 9:
Magical Matthew, (in Spanish: MágicoMateo) and Magical Mea. Both books show kids dealing with problems and
overcoming obstacles. What would you do with a magical secret power? The next
year two more are coming: Magical Mea Goes to School and then Magical M and M.

Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help
us know you a little better.

Top 3
books you recommend reading and why you recommend them.

Lately, I’ve been on a middle
grade book reading spree. It’s my preferred children’s literature genre. I
adore Kate DiCamillo’s books and have read Because
of Winn Dixie, Flora and Ulysses, The Tale of Despereaux, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
I also love Judy Blume’s Are You There
God? It’s Me Margaret. These are all near perfect MG novels. I have three
I’m working on in various stages of revision.

Top 3
pieces of advice for kids these days.

As a parent and teacher, I’m
usually giving advice to parents. Okay, here goes for kids. (1) I advise kids
to go outside more—play, run, explore, go to parks, enjoy the great outdoors.
Many kids are inside a lot—some studying, but too many watching TV,
YouTube/Internet, playing video games—being entertained. They need to get
active to be healthy and be more in touch with the natural world. (2) Please
read more great books. There are wonderful books that will open up their minds
and imaginations much more than their virtual internet world. (3) Please learn
the joy and satisfaction of helping others, be it other kids, animals, or any
person in need—volunteer, get involved, and help out. You will feel great—like
Matthew and Mea do in my books!

Top 3
favorite places.

Although I’ve traveled all
over—the U.S., Hawaii, Europe, even some trips to Asia—I don’t travel much
these days. My top three favorite places are parks, bookstores, and my own
yard. All Parks are wonderful, either in a natural setting, or one carefully
planted and maintained. You can see trees, grass, flowers, animals, and enjoy
them all. All Bookstores are marvelous because you can explore the wonderful
world of words and pictures. Bookstores are getting fewer and fewer—enjoy the
ones we have left. And my own yard is my personal park and retreat. It gets
nicer with each new plant, tree, flower, veggie, and herb I plant. Watching
things grow is uplifting.

Really great advice, Penelope. So, before we all run
outside, where can our tech savvy readers find you online?

I post book reviews on my Pinterest Board, Amazon, B&N,
and Goodreads.

It was wonderful of
you to join us on this week’s Three Times A Charm. Best of luck to you and your
books.

THANKS!

GUESTS WELCOME! I
am always looking for guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an author,
illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor. If you have something
related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know about, feel
free to contact me about a future appearance.

Here's the Scoop on

Hi! I'm Kai (pronounced like the letter K.) I write Epic award winning fiction for kids and teens. I can say that because I won an award from EPIC for The Weaver! I'm the mother of four, which makes me a bit of an expert in the writing for kids arena. I love singing, gardening, walking, pizza and Mozart. Please check out my books and short stories on my website and contact me with any questions you have. Thanks for reading.